Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Daniel Chavkin

Chip Kelly Explains Why He Left UCLA for Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Job

Chip Kelly left his head-coaching job at UCLA to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a rare instance where a head coach left to take an assistant position on his own accord. 

Kelly was set to enter his seventh season leading the Bruins, but instead chose to join Ryan Day’s staff for next season.

On Tuesday, Kelly explained what went into his decision to join the Buckeyes, and it began when former UCLA quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson left the Bruins program before the team’s bowl game vs. Boise State.

“I actually coached the quarterbacks for the bowl game, and I just started to think, like I hadn't actually coached a position since 2008,” Kelly said. “I think my wife remarked, she was like, ‘I haven't seen you this happy in a long time.’ And, to me, the best part of football is football. And so you got to do football, and not do some of the things involved with the head coaching deal.”

Kelly then said after the bowl game, when it was time to start ramping up recruiting, he reflected on potentially being an assistant coach again.

“So I started to look into, ‘Is there an opportunity?’” Kelly said. “And it would have had to been the right spot to go somewhere and just coach a position again and be back with that group.”

Kelly has been a head coach since 2009, leading Oregon, UCLA, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. The last time he was an assistant coach was in 2008, when he was the offensive coordinator for Oregon.

With all the changes in college football’s recruiting, it appears that Kelly didn’t want to deal with all of the CEO responsibilities of a head coach.

“I just want to be happy. And I'm really happy coaching the position,” Kelly said. “Really happy to be at this place. It would have taken a special place for me to leave UCLA, because I love those players and I love that coaching staff, but to be here with Ryan, had a great relationship, I’ve known Ryan since he was a little kid. 

“So I think a lot of things just fell into place that way.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.